Liquid ejection apparatus and method of attaching and detaching waste liquid container

Abstract

A liquid ejection apparatus includes a liquid ejection head for ejecting liquid and a mounting section for receiving a waste liquid container to be attached thereto. The waste liquid container is capable of receiving and containing the waste liquid discharged from a discharge port arranged in the mounting section. The liquid ejection apparatus has a blocking member for shielding the discharge port in accordance with an operation of removing the waste liquid container from the mounting section. The liquid ejection apparatus minimizes the risk of staining one or both of the user's hands handling the waste liquid container and the user's clothes with the waste liquid remaining on the discharge port of the liquid ejection apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A liquid ejection apparatus comprising:
 a liquid ejection head for ejecting liquid;   a discharge port for discharging waste liquid from the liquid ejection head; and   a mounting section for receiving a waste liquid container to be attached thereto, the waste liquid container being capable of receiving and containing the waste liquid discharged from the discharge port, the discharge port being arranged in the mounting section;   the liquid ejection apparatus having a blocking member for shielding the discharge port in the mounting section in accordance with an operation of removing the waste liquid container from the mounting section;   for the operation of removing the waste liquid container from the mounting section, the waste liquid container being driven to move from the discharge port along a plane extending orthogonally relative to the direction of discharging the waste liquid, whereas the blocking member being driven to move along the orthogonally extending plane to a position for covering the discharge port.   
     
     
         2 . The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the blocking member is a plate-like member and, as the blocking member is driven to move horizontally in the plane extending orthogonally relative to the direction of discharging the waste liquid, the blocking member is capable of moving between a position where the blocking member covers the discharge port and a position where the blocking member does not cover the discharge port.   
     
     
         3 . The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a guide for guiding the blocking member for horizontal moves. 
     
     
         4 . The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the blocking member has a recess on the surface thereof that can be made to face the discharge port.   
     
     
         5 . The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising a waste liquid absorber arranged in the recess of the blocking member to absorb the waste liquid discharged from the discharge port. 
     
     
         6 . The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a drive mechanism for driving the blocking member to move horizontally in accordance with the operation of attaching the waste liquid container to and also with the operation of detaching the waste liquid container from the mounting section. 
     
     
         7 . The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the drive mechanism comprises a spring.   
     
     
         8 . The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the blocking member is a roller shutter-like member that is formed by linking a plurality of slats and can alternatively take an open position where the blocking member allows the discharge port to be exposed and a blocking position where the blocking member covers the discharge port by moving each of the plurality of slats horizontally in the plane extending orthogonally relative to the direction of discharging waste liquid.   
     
     
         9 . The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising a guide for guiding the blocking member for horizontal moves of the slats of the blocking member. 
     
     
         10 . The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the blocking member is a plate-like member and, as the blocking member is driven to rotate in the plane extending orthogonally relative to the direction of discharging waste liquid, the blocking member can move between a position where the blocking member covers the discharge port and a position where the blocking member does not cover the discharge port.   
     
     
         11 . The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the blocking member is a shutter-like member that is formed by using a plurality of flat boards arranged around the discharge port and, as each of the plurality of the flats boards is turned so as to move away from the other flat boards and come close to the other flat boards in the plane extending orthogonally relative to the direction of discharging waste liquid, the blocking member can alternatively take an open position where the blocking member allows the discharge port to be exposed and a closed position where the blocking member covers the discharge port.   
     
     
         12 . The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in the operation of removing the waste liquid container from the mounting section, the direction in which the waste liquid container is moved agrees with the direction in which the blocking member is moved.   
     
     
         13 . A method of attaching a waste liquid container capable of receiving and containing the waste liquid discharged from a liquid ejection head to and detaching the waste liquid container from a mounting section having a discharge port for ejecting the waste liquid arranged therein;
 the discharge port and the waste liquid container being disposed oppositely relative to each other in the state of the waste liquid container attached to the mounting section;   for an operation of removing the waste liquid container from the mounting section, the waste liquid container being driven to move from the discharge port along a plane extending orthogonally relative to the direction of discharging the waste liquid, whereas the blocking member being driven to move along the orthogonally extending plane to the position of shielding and covering the discharge port in accordance with the operation of removing the waste liquid container from the mounting section.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the blocking member is driven to move horizontally to a position where the blocking member squarely faces and covers the discharge port in accordance with the operation of removing the waste liquid container from the mounting section.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the blocking member is driven to move horizontally from the position where the blocking member covers the discharge port to a position where the blocking member does not cover the discharge port in accordance with the operation of attaching the waste liquid container to the mounting section, so as to make the discharge port and the waste liquid container squarely face each other.